Showing posts with label Cover Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cover Stories. Show all posts

Sunday, 16 November 2008

The Cover Stories vol. 2: Just Like Heaven


JUST LIKE HEAVEN

Original version: The Cure
Album: Kiss me Kiss me Kiss me (1987)

LINKS:
The Music Video
The music with lyrics on You Tube
Live Version on You Tube
More Info about the song
The Song Meanings
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About the original version:

Single #3 from The Cure's Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, their first Top 40 hit in the States, to many the 'quintessential' Cure tune. That's OK, it's one of the quintessents to me as well, at least as far as this particular Cure path goes.

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THE COVER STORY:

  • The String Quartet Tribute is a series of string quartet tribute albums, released by Vitamin Records and performed by several different groups of musicians. These string quartet tributes are commonly referred to as "VSQ," or "Vitamin String Quartet" by fans. Albums generally focus on one band per record, and perform classical versions of that band's songs, generally note for note. They use a wide array of instruments but primarily use violins, violas, and cellos.

    Their version of "Just Like Heaven" is slow and melancholic, and is perfect for a rainy day.
From the Album: The String Quartet Plays The Cure (2003)
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  • The Watson Twins are an American musical group based in Los Angeles with country and folk influences. Named for identical twin sisters Chandra and Leigh Watson, the band includes contributions from Aram Arslanian, Russ Pollard, Jason Soda, and Jenny Lewis. Their version of "Just Like Heaven" is really a great cover. Cool summerbreeze and lazy in the best sense. And the harmonica really suits the song. My favourite cover-version of this song.
From the album: Fire Songs (2008)
Live Version from You Tube
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  • Dinosaur Jr. is an American alternative rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984. Originally named Dinosaur prior to legal issues, the band disbanded in 1997 until reuniting in 2005. Guitarist J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph were the band's founding members; however, Mascis has been the group's sole continual member. Their version is faster than the original, and with a great and strange sounding guitar. The refrain change the mood of the song a bit, and the end of the song is a suprise. A really great version and Robert Smiths personal favourite.
From the Album: Just Like Heaven EP (1989)
The Music Video

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 CHARLOTTE MARTIN "Just Like Heaven"
  • Charlotte Ann Martin (born March 29, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, who performs predominantly on the piano. She has written several studio albums, two of which have received mainstream commercial releases, 2004's On Your Shore and 2006's Stromata. Her Tori Amos-esque version of "Just Like Heaven" is not everyones cup of tea. Oh yeah, I'd also compare her to Heather Nova. I have no idea what to write about this, because it's really good, yet not... enjoyable.
From the Album: Reproductions (2007)
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KATIE MELUA "Just Like Heaven"
  • Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a Georgian-British singer, songwriter and musician. She was born in Georgia, but moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then relocated to England at the age of 14. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of songwriter Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003. In 2006, she was the United Kingdom's biggest-selling female artist and Europe's highest selling European female artist. This version of "Just Like Heaven" is not essential, but still sweet, maybe to sweet. With a song like "Just like heaven", I somehow expected to see a different side of Katie Melua. It didn't happen. Well, she can't really be upbeat, there's style to consider here.
From the Album: Piece by Piece (2005)
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ALL THE SONGS HERE
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Saturday, 15 November 2008

Cover Stories Vol. 1: Never Let Me Down Again



NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN

Original version: Depeche Mode
Album: Music for the Masses (1987)

LINKS:
The Music Video
Rare Music Video - Depeche on the Beach
Live Version on You Tube
More Info about the song
The Song Meanings
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About the original version:

Mixing beautifully synthetized electric guitars, luminous piano, electronic effects and rich melodies, Never Let Me Down Again close the door of Depeche Mode's teenager's obsessive bedroom. This song is thrilling, intense, romantic, fresh and opened to the world without making lose a bit of the contained darkness of the band.

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THE COVER STORY:

  • Once a Strawberry Switchblader,now a soloartist. Her version of "Never let me down again" is a straightforward version with a bit more pop-feeling than the original. And she ends the song in a personal way. Nice and easy to the ear.
From the Album: Goth Electro Tribute To Depeche Mode (2005)
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  • A gothic rock band formed in 1986 from the splinters of the freshly-dissolved rock band The Sisters of Mercy. It was started by frontman Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams. Aside from Hussey, the line-up has changed several times during the years, and the band has been dusted up from a state of dormancy once or twice. There a many who thinks that their version of "Never Let Me Down Again" is the definitive cover-version of the DM-song. It's a real rocker, dark and moody in a way that reflects the lyric excellent. A killer version, no doubt!
From the album: Aural Delight (2002)
Live Version from You Tube
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  • A nu metal band from Stuttgart, Germany. They reached their peak of popularity with their album The World Is Ours, released in 2000; the videos for singles "Here Comes The Pain" and "If You Ever Leave Me Standing" were put into heavy rotation by German alternative music channels. Their version of "Never let me down again" is a twee bit on the heavy side, but there is some nice vocals by Anneke van Giersbergen from The Gathering. That kind of saves the song a bit.
From the Album: Countrified (1995)
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IMPRUDENCE "Never Let Me Down Again"
  • I don't know anything about these guys except that this version is from their first, and as far as I know, only album "Road to Nowhere" and thet they are from Minsk in Belarus. A strange version mostly because the arrangement not very far from the original, but the vocal is pure Death metal, with a touch of a soft angel backing at the end of the song.
From the Album: Road to Nowhere (2003)
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BLAZED UP "Never Let Me Down Again"
  • Got even less information on Blazed Up. Some info tells me they are from Germany, and was making a cover of the DM-song back in 1995. A kind of post-punk version. But when they come to the bridge, the vocalist tends to forget that he is in a punk-band and he sound for a little while like a bad heavy metal-vocalist. A bit fun, and a bit boring, depending on your taste.
From the Album: Punk Chartbusters, Vol. 1 (1995)

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ALL THE SONGS HERE
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